Beverage brewing device including densitometer



y 5 s'. P. CLURMAN 2,835,412

BEVERAGE BREWING DEVICE INCLUDING DENSITOMETER Filed Feb. 4, 1953 INVENTOR STANLEY P. CLURMAN A T TORNE Y United tre s BEVERAGE BREWING DEVICE INCLUDING DENSITOMETER This invention relates to devices such as colorimeters and the like for measuring the degree of transparency or translucency of fluids.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide an instrument for measuring the transparency or translucency of a fluid by comparison with a light permeable element of predetermined color density.

It is a further object to provide a transparent vessel for containing the fluid to be measured and including a light permeable colored member of predetermined shade which serves as a standard for comparison.

It is a further object to provide a densitometer of the character described for use as a means of determining the color density of a fluid in gas or liquid form while the fluid is in motion or is undergoing physical or chemical changes.

It is a further and special object of the invention to provide a device for continuously determining the color density of a beverage such as coffee, tea, or the like, while the beverage isbeing brewed in a suitable container.

Other andfurther objects of the invention will become readily apparent in view of the following description thereof taken together with the drawings, wherein:

Figs. 1 through 6 are perspective views of devices embodying the invention, each comprising a fluid container and associated color density standard.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of fluid container.

Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary diagrams illustrating the Vernier type of measuring characteristic of the invention.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the invention employed in association with means for subjecting a fluid to a chemical or physical process.

Fig. 11 is an elevational view of the invention embodied as a pouring spout of a beverage container.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the spout shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 12A is a cross sectional view taken on lines 12A-12A of Fig. 12.

The invention as embodied in Fig. 1 comprises a hollow container 20 having transparent walls 21, 22, 23, and 24. The walls are preferably formed of clear glass or synthetic plastic material. Opposite walls 21, 22 are straight and flare outwardly or inwardly as desired to define a wedge shaped cavity. Walls 23, 24 are substantially flat and vertically disposed. A flat slab 25 of translucent or transparent glass or synthetic plastic material having a predetermined color density is vertically disposed with a narrow side abutting the wall 24. A mounting base 27 is provided for slab 25 and the container 20. A color density scale in the form of a plurality of ruled lines 28 is provided on the outside of wall 21. The lines are numbered consecutively 1 through 5, for example, as shown.

In operation, a fluid whose color density is to be determined will be placed in container 20. The observer at a distant point will compare the shade of color of the fluid with that of the color standard 25 by means of light which passes from a distant source S through the fluid and color standard as shown diagrammatically by the arrows in Fig. 1. The observer will note an effect somewhat similar to that shown in Fig. 8 wherein the fluid F 7 atent O 2,835,412 Patented May 20, 1958 has a color density which uniformly varies from dark to light from the widest part of the wedge to the narrowest. The adjacent color standard 25 has a uniform color and sinceit is juxtaposed the fluid to be measured permits ready and accurate comparison. At level 2 as shown in Fig. 8 the color density of the fluid substantially matches that of the standard 25. Since the light is passing through the wedge closer to its broader end this indicates the fluid has a relatively weak or light color density. Thus in the color density range of the fluid F as shown in Fig. 8, a color density match occurring at the dark upper end of scale 28 indicates the fluid is light or weak in color density and a match at the light lower end of the scale indicates the fluid is dark.

Sometimes the color density of a fluid which is an indication of some chemical or physical characteristic of the fluid, such as a content of solid particles or the like, does not vary linearly with changes in the characteristic, but instead varies in some complex fashion such as exponentially. In such cases it may be desirable to form the walls of container 20 to conform with the function of variability. Walls 21' and 22' of Fig. 3 are shown curved in this way and as a result, the color density scale provided by the lines 28 supplies a means of comparing the color density of the fluid linearly with the standard 25'.

It will be noted that the wall 24' of container 20' in Fig. 3 is extended so that color standard 25' is embedded in the extended transparent walls 21', 22'. This has been found to be a desirable construction since it insures that light rays passing through the fluid and the color standard will be retracted substantially equally as shown by the parallel arrows in Fig. 3 so that distortion and apparent displacement of the color levels of the fluid are avoided. It is possible but to a lesser extent to minimize the eifect of unequal refraction of light rays in the device of Fig. 1 by grinding or etching the. surfaces 26 and 29 of wall 22 and plate 25 respectively, or a translucent ground glass screen could be interposed between the light source S and the entire densitometer of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 2 is shown a modification of the invention in which the container 30 has flat transparent parallel walls 31, 32, and 33, 34. The abutting color standard 35 is wedge shaped. In operation, the scale indications proceed downwards from dark to light which indicate a color density range from strong to weak. This is the reverse of the effect of Figs. 1 and 8. In use the observer will find the color comparison eflect is the mirror image of that shown in Fig. 8. The fluid will have a uniform color density throughout and the color density of standard 35 will vary downwardly from dark to light. To reduce or eliminate unequal light refraction elfects the color standard 35 can be imbedded in the extensions of the transparent walls of container 39 as shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modification of the invention which includes a color standard in the form of a wedge 35 which has stepped sides so that light from the source S produces the banded pattern shown in Fig. 9. The color density is uniform throughout each band but the color of the several bands becomes lighter downwardly in discrete steps. As a result instead of the single color density standard produced by a flat or curved sided standard, the stepped standard oflfers a predetermined number of graded standards equal to the number of steps. In Fig. 9 is shown the uniform color density of the fluid juxtaposed the banded pattern of the stepped standard. Comparison is readily effected since in this arrangement the fluid can be compared with each band and the color density is accurately determined. In Fig. 9 the band 3 of scale 28 most closely matches in color density that of fluid F. The stepped arrangement shown in Fig. 7 is that of the walls of a fluid container 20".

This stepped sided arrangement of the walls may be used instead of the fiat or curved side walls of Figs. 1 and 3 respectively. The color density pattern produced when the stepped sided container is 'filled with 'fluid will be-banded so that ready and accurate comparison can be eflected with the adjacent uniform color density of the standard 25.

in Fig. 4 is shown an application of the inventionto determining the color density of colored flowing liquids as well as of colored gases such as smoke, chemical vapors, etc. Chamber --40 has flat parallel walls and is formed of transparent material. Pipes Z-l, 42 open into chamber 40 for admitting and exhausting the gas or liquid to be observed. A wedge shaped color density standard 35" abuts the chamber 40. Comparison of the color density ofthe gas or liquid with the color density of the standard at the various'levels of the calibrated scale 38 yields a determination of the color density of the fluid in chamber 40.

Fig. shows a modification of the invention applied to a container for fluid which is to be subjected to some physical or chemical process. A color densitometer of the type shown in Fig. l'is attached to an opening in the side of container 43. An opening 44 is provided in the wall 23 of container so that as the color density of the fluid in containers 43 and 20 changes it can be continuously compared with that of the standard 25. This arrangement rovides a means for continuously monitoring the changes in color density of the fluid being processed.

A special modification of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 11, in which the invention is incorporated in the spout 45 of a containersuitable for brewing beverages such'as a coffee or tea pot 46. The spout is most clearly shown in Figs. 12 and 12A. The main spout body 45 has a wedge shaped cavity similar to that of container 20 in Fig. 1. Liquid enters this cavity through the apertures in the wall 49 from the pot 46. The side walls 47 and 52 of the spout are of transparent material, preferably glass. The end wall 49 may be part of the wall of pot 46 if so desired or may be integral with side walls 47, 52. The opposite wall 51 of the spout body is extended to embed the color density standard 48. The taper of the sides ofextendedwall 51 conforms to that of the main spout body walls 52 and 47 so that the effect of different degrees of light refraction through standard 48 and the fluid filling spout 56 is minimized. It will be noted that the walls 47, 51, and 52 and the embedded plate 48 are rather elongated in form and taper inwardly at the bottom. The additional length beyond the scale 53 serves to anchor the spout more rigidly to pot 46 and in addition furnishes a pleasing decorative effect. The top 54 of wall '51 is. curved to facilitate pouring liquid from the spout. The lowermost point of the curve should not be below the top of scale 53.

The modification of Figs. 11, 12, 12A permits an instantaneous quantitive determination to be made of the strength of the beverage in the pct 46 while it is being brewed. The plate 48 has a preselected color density of that of a predetermined strength of brewed beverage. The position on scale 53 at which is found a color density of fluid matching that of the color density standard 48 indicates the strength of the brew. If light passing through the narrow portion of the wedge produces a color density at 8 matching that of the standard 48, the beverage is qualitatively determined as dark and strong and quantitatively determined as of strength level 8 with respect to standard 25. Similarly a color density match at level 1 would indicate a light or weak brew. It thus becomes possible by means of this invention to specify by number the strength of the beverage brewed. The control over the brewing process is continuous and accurate throughout.

Only a selected few of many possible embodiments of the invention have been described and shown in the drawings. For example-the spout of Fig. 11 or the-densitom- 4 eters of Figs. 4 and 10 could employ any of the structural forms of cavity shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, or 10. The standard color element employed could have any of the forms shown in Figs. 1, 2, .3, 4, 5, or 6. It is important however that a wedge shaped color density standard be used with a fluid container having parallel cavity walls and a color density standard with parallel walls be associated with a fluid container having a wedge shaped cavity. Re-

gardless of the form of the embodiment of the invention the scope thereof is not to be limited byanynf the exemplary forms described and illustrated in the drawings but is to be coextensive with the scope of the following claims.

:What is claimed is:

1. A beverage brewing device, comprising a cylindrical container for said beverage, said container having a lateral Opening therein, a spout having transparent walls secured to said container and having a wedge shaped cavity communicating with said opening, said spout having an external wedge shape defined by opposite side walls tapering outwardly from bottom to top of the spout, there being an opening in the top of the .spout'to provide a passage for said beverage from said cavity to' the exterior of the device, said spout having an extended end wall, a colored plate embedded in said end wall, said plate having one end juxtaposed to said cavity, said end wall having sides tapering the same as the taper of the side 'walls, and a scale indicative of color densities carried on one of said side walls.

2. A beverage brewing device, comprising a cylindrical container for said beverage, said container having lateral openings therein, a spout having transparent walls secured to said container and having a wedge shaped cavity communicating with said opening, said spout having an external wedge shape defined by opposite side walls tapering outwardly from bottom to top of the spout, there being a curved opening in the top of the spout to provide a passage for said beverage from said cavity to the exterior of the device and to facilitate pouring-the beverage from the spout said spout having an extended end wall, a colored plate embedded in said end wall, said plate having one end juxtaposed to said ca ity, said end wall having sides taperinr the same as the taper ofthe side walls, and a scale indicative of color densities carried on one of said side walls, said plate providing a standard for comparison with a quantity of said beverage in the spout.

3. A colored beverage brewing device, comprisinga cylindrical container for said beverage, said container having a lateral opening therein, a spout havingtransparent walls secured to said container and having a wedge shaped cavity communicating with said opening, said spout having an external wedge shape defined byopposite side walls tapering outwardly from bottom to top of the spout, there being an opening in the top of the spout to provide a passage for said beverage from said cavity to the exterior of the device, said spout having an extended end Wall and a colored plate embedded in said end wall, said plate having one end juxtaposed to said cavity, said end wall having sides tapering the same as the taper of the side walls, the color of said plate pro viding a standard for comparison with the color of a quantity of said beverage in the spout.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 840,538 White Jan. 8, 1907 919,943 Peterson Apr. 27, 1909 998,091 Hellige July 18, 1911 1,375,708 Klett Apr. 26, 1921 1,616,092 Stirlen Feb. 1, 1927 1,878,847 Haussen et a]. Sept. 20, 1932 1,994,102 Holt Mar. 12, 1935 2,050,608 Hellige Aug. 11, 1936 2,270,457 Martin Jan. 20, 1942 

